During a grad session, most of the photos will be in your fancy dress but switching into a second outfit is a great way to add variety and show off your personal style!

Here are 6 helpful tips to plan for your second outfit at your grad session!

1. BE COMFORTABLE and BE YOU

Confidence photographs well! Part of that confidence comes from what you wear and how you feel in that outfit! If you’ve got an outfit you love and feel good in, wear it! If you’re not into showing your arms, just throw on a sweater or jacket. Not a fan of super tight or weird-fitting clothes? Leave those at home. Basically, if anything in your closet makes you feel uncomfortable or self-conscious, don’t bother including it as a second outfit option.

2. COLOR

Color can add visual interest to your photos! Depending on the season, colors will photograph differently. The tone of colors will also affect the look of the final image.

White, especially when photographed outside, tends to be captured with blue tones and will have a hard time being white. Opt for cream and that will photography beautifully!

Here are some color tips for your second outfit!

If you are trying to pick colors, try to match the season that photos will be taken in!

Spring Colors (Think light and muted!)

•  Pale pink
• Mint green
• Baby blue
• Cream
• Light gray
• Soft yellow
• Spring green
• Lavender

Summer Colors (Think brighter colors)

• Cream
• Yellow
• Bold red
• Bright orange
• Bold pink
• Turquoise
• Royal blue

Fall Colors (Think earth tones)

• Creams
• Browns
• Mustard yellow
• Burnt orange
• Dark shades of green
• Dark purple
• Neutrals

Winter Colors (Think earth tones with rich color)

• Cream
• Brown
• Black
• Medium to dark gray
• Ruby red
• Dark purple
• Emerald green
• Blue

There are three main categories for clothing colors: warm, cool and neutral tones. If there are more than one person in your group, opt for one of these categories so that you match.

Warm tones tend to work best with those people that have dark brown to dark blonde hair with olive skin. Stick with the more earth like tones.

Cool tones work best if your hair is the darkest of any shade. )Think almost black and super dark blonde.) Most flattering colors will include lavender, emerald green, royal blue, crimson. Cool tones, think water tones.

Neutral tones typical go well with all hair colors. Try wearing the lighter colors that aren’t super stark or vibrant. These tones are beautiful anytime of year.

One easy trick to figure out if you look better in cool or warm tones is to check the veins on the underside of your wrist. If they look blue, cool tones are probably your best bet. If they look more green, then warm tones will likely suit you better.

3. DON’T FORGET LAYERS

Adding layers to your outfits always looks STUNNING in photos! Just the way that if I put some flowers in the foreground (front of image), the subject in the middle and the trees in the background of the image creates visual interest, layers add visual interest. A sweater with a flannel underneath paired with a vest + statement necklace or scarf adds so much dimension to your images and makes for super fun posing options!

4. PLAY WITH TEXTURES

Fur, lace, leather, jean, chiffon or there are so many beautiful textures! And they all photograph beautifully!  Sometimes textures like sequins, furs and sparkles can be considered “daring” or “over the top” but, in portraits, they photography beautifully! Adding texture to your outfit makes the biggest difference, and it prevents the images from looking dull! Combining textures that you may not normally use together like sequins and cable knit sweaters, jean and lace or leather and fur make GREAT pairs!

5. USE ACCESSORIES

During a senior session, or any photo shoot, the more the merrier!! When planning your outfits, don’t forget to plan accessories!! Stacks of bangles, long necklaces, statement pieces, scarves, hats, bright shoes and other addons can add visual interest to your photos!

Stay away from logos. These can all be distracting on camera and pull focus away from you, the subject. 

6. MIX IT UP

If you’re planning to wear more than one outfit, make sure to mix it up with a variety of looks! I tell my seniors to pick outfits from a few different categories like casual, cozy, dressy, sports-themed, preppy, or edgy. Try choosing 2 or 3 of those styles and build your outfits around them. It helps create a fun mix of looks for your senior photos, so each outfit stands out and brings a different vibe to the session!

I hope this list helps you to plan for your second outfit! If you have any questions, please email me! I love it when clients ask for advise, or send photos of outfit ideas!